Betwixt a Rock and a Hard Place
by Swythangel
Summary: This is the tale of the journey of the famed dwarven Chief Heero and the Jordian prince Quatre and how they defeated the mightiest dragon in Mithgar.


Author: Swythangel   
Email: swythangel@hotmail.com   
Title: Betwixt a Rock and a Hard Place   
Rating: PG (for shounen ai content)   
Spoilers: None on Gundam Wing, definitely spoiler for Dragon Doom   
Warnings: Strong Language, Slash, Fantasy AU   
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is owned by Bandai and a passel of other people I never bothered to find out about. It just depresses me to see all those bishies as someone else's property. Dragon Doom is Dennis McKiernan's. A mighty fine author with a mighty fine book.   
Archive: [Blinks]You'd seriously consider archiving this? >. Just tell me then ^^ 

Anou looks around>….if there are any WK people who accidentally stumbled on this…don't kill me! I had to write this down. I really did. This is my first Gwing fiction though so be gentle? Is this bad or good? I need feedback to post this because if its not post-worthy, I don't want to clutter your mailboxes ^^; 

**Betwixt a Rock and a Hard Place******

**Prologue**

In the final days of the Second Era, the Great War of the Ban was fought. On the High Plane, Adon prevailed over the Great Evil, Gyphon; on the Middle Plane the Grand Alliance won by an unexpected stroke and vile Modru was defeated upon Mithgar. 

Adon set His Ban upon the creatures of the Untagarda who aided Gyphon in the War and they were forever banished from the light of Mithgar's Sun. Those who defy the Ban suffer the Withering Death. 

Gyphon, swearing vengeance, was exiled beyond the Spheres. Thus did the Second Era end and the Third Era begin… ----- From the Calendar of the Iron Tower   
  
In the last days of the Second Era, much of the menfolk of Mithgar perished in the Great War. Thus, it became almost practical for the womenfolk to take over. This lead to the matriarchal society that has lived on through to the Third Era. 

In the Third Era, where relative peace fell upon Mithgar, began a series of events that would forever live in the hearts and minds of the inhabitants of Jord and dwarven folk alike as the Battle of Sleeth's Hoard. A battle that decimated both human and dwarvenkind which only ended when the greatest drake of the time, Black Kalgalath perished under the courage of two heroes. 

This, then, is the tale of the journey of the famed dwarven Chief Heero and the Jordian prince Quatre and how they defeated the greatest dragon that ever lived upon Mithgar to change the course of history. 

*** 

_Summer, Steppes Kingdom of Jord_

"Ugh!" 

A sword went flying into the air as a royal behind kissed the sun-warmed grass of the forest. 

Hai, ron!" 

Aquamarine eyes danced in triumphant amusement as the golden-haired princeling of Jord fairly danced with the exhilaration of winning. Near his feet, a similar bundle of golden brightness lay slumped in an indignant heap, huffing and puffing, a disbelieving look on her face. 

"I can't believe he did it to me again." 

Iria muttered to herself while dusting off the seat of her leather pants. It was humiliating to lose to her brother, who for all intents and purposes shouldn't even be *holding* a weapon, much less use one with such skill. And to think that *she* was the one who taught him. 

Her pride as Heir couldn't take it. Her chin jutted out, forming an angle outlined in the afternoon sun as she picked up her sword on the grassy ground. 

"Let's see you try that again, bouya." She crouched down in a guard stance and trained serious eyes on the boy before her. 

Quatre grinned at her and shrugged, hefting his sword in the prescribed position to face his twin sister who sported a crease between her eyes. The crease meant that Iria was irritated at having lost to him yet again. Irritated wasn't good. It made a person make mistakes he normally wouldn't if he kept calm. Not that Iria ever noticed. His sister had always been a hothead. 

This was going to be easier than the first one. And rightly so, Quatre thought to himself, as he looked up at the sun. It was nearing the time for his violin lessons. He would have just enough time to wash and refresh himself before meeting Master Barton for his lessons. 

Clang! 

Quatre blocked Iria's furious charge, frowning at his sister. He swung the sword in an arc. 

"Unfair, Iria! I was distracted." 

Iria's eyebrows arched. "In the field of battle, Quatre, there is no time to feel distracted." 

Well, if Iria wanted to play serious, then Quatre would play serious too. He calculated Iria's moves and waited for an opening, fighting defensively against the aggressive girl. 

There! 

With fluid grace, Quatre's sword shot out and in seconds, Iria's sword went flying. While Iria blinked in startled surprise, Quatre pointed his weapon at her neck. 

"Yield." 

Iria's eyes narrowed into slits, her face reddening. She was about to burst into her "That-was-unfair.-You-cheated." Speech. But even before she could burst into her well-known rant, a clapping sound issued from the side of the clearing they had chosen. 

The two whirled around to see an exotic man with narrow eyes leaning against one of the oak trees, sunlight highlighting ebony hair tied back in a ponytail and an impassive face that showed no emotion whatsoever. 

"Master Chang!" 

Wufei Chang was the only male in Jord who had the privilege of using weapons. He was a renowned arms master from a land far North whose proficiency with weapons was legendary. The Queen herself had asked for his services. 

Quatre's heart fell somewhere in the vicinity of his foot. Of all the people who could have caught them, it was their luck to have the weapons master be the one. If it had been anyone else Quatre could have intimidated them into silence but it wasn't anyone. It was Master Chang and no one has ever succeeded into bullying the Northern man. He was a terrible taskmaster and strictly enforced all the rules. Quatre knew for certain that he would be taken to task for this infraction. 

He hung his head. Words of explanation would be useless with this one. To explain more would only provoke the arms master. That much Quatre knew. 

Unfortunately, Iria didn't. 

"M…Master Chang! I…we…that is…" 

Wufei ignored Iria and focused on Quatre. 

"Where did you learn such a move?" 

"What?" Quatre looked up in a daze. He had expected to be dragged back to the palace and placed before his Queen mother for punishment. Why was the weapons master asking questions? 

"Where did you learn such a move?" Wufei's tone was impatient. "I have gathered that the Heir here has trained you in the others but I have never taught her that particular move. Where did you learn it?" 

"I…" 

How did he learn it? Quatre didn't know. All he knew was that it felt like the most natural thing to do once he saw Iria move. That was what he told Master Chang. And he saw surprise momentarily flit through the exotic man's eyes. 

Was the arms master ribbing him? Quatre thought to himself warily. 

In truth, Wufei wasn't ribbing the princeling. He had witnessed the sparring session while passing through the clearing on his way to his own personal training. At any time, he would have ignored these kinds of practice sessions, having no patience for amateurs. 

But he had heard a young male voice…the young prince's voice, followed by his twin, the Heir, Iria. He knew then that he had to stop them because males, with the exception of himself, were not allowed to handle weapons. It wasn't exactly written down as law it just was the commonly accepted notion. And if it had been anyone but Prince Quatre, Wufei would have let it pass. The men in Mithgar needed some backbone as it is. But it was the Prince and Wufei, for all his bravado and courage, had enough sense not to anger the ruler of Jord. 

He had to stop them. Besides, the Heir (who was good enough by Wufei's standards) would probably make mincemeat of the inexperienced slender boy if he didn't. With this conviction he had stepped out into the clearing and was promptly astounded into silence. 

Amazing! 

The boy wasn't being beaten to a pulp. In fact he had just disarmed his twin sister with a move that only a few master swordsmen knew. Wufei was surprised and intrigued. All thoughts of reprimands went out the window. 

"What lead you to the conclusion that it was the thing to do? Surely something alerted you." 

Quatre brightened. At last someone to talk to. He had always loved strategy and had studied different books on it. 

"Well, Iria always has this habit of lowering her sword in an affected dramatic gesture before she attacks." He cast a glance at the sputtering Iria apologetically. "Its just a little flick of the wrist, Iria, but it leaves this opening that pne can take advantage of." 

Quatre looked back at the weapons master and was astounded to see him smiling down at him. Heavens! Quatre almost had a heart attack. He had never seen Wufei Chang smile…ever. 

"You would have made a good warrior and strategos." 

Wufei Chang let the words slip out. And was promptly rewarded by an exuberant shout. 

"Yes! That is what I want to be, Master Chang! A warrior, a male warrior, as of eld!" 

"Quatre, boys *can't* be warriors." Iria rolled her eyes. Quatre had told her this before. 

"But why not? Especially when there were so many centuries ago. Besides, I not only can match you. I always win." 

Iria protested. "That's because you chea…" 

"Silence." 

Wufei glared at the Heir. Iria had this penchant to blame her errors on the person she was fighting, especially when she lost. It irked Wufei who had always felt that the Heir had been spoiled. 

"Haven't I taught you enough, Iria, to realize when to admit your mistakes and learn from them. IF you do not change this opinion you have, you will come to regret it later in the battlefield, most likely while missing a vital body part. I would recommend you learn from your brother here who displays a startling acumen for the finer art of strategy." 

Iria sulked in silence, glaring at Quatre. The Heir wasn't really that bad, she was actually very good. But her cockiness could lead to her downfall. It was Wufei's job to ensure it didn't do so. 

He turned to leave. 

"M…Master Chang?" 

He inclined his head at the young boy. "Yes, Quatre?" 

"Did you mean what you said back there?" 

"Of course. I never say what I don't mean." 

"Then…will you teach me alongside Iria?" 

Wufei shook his head. Much as he wanted to teach the boy, he had to follow the dictates of the sovereign country. He couldn't. 

"As long as your Queen mother forbids it, Quatre, I can do nothing. I am sorry." 

Quatre's blue-green eyes wavered for a second and then resolve took its place. "But if I get mother to approve it, you will teach me, will you not, Master Chang?" 

"Of course." 

Quatre smiled and whipped around to stride back to the castle, dragging a surprised Iria along, his voice carrying in the air. 

"Then ready yourself for a new student in the next few days, Master Chang!" 

As Wufei watched the pair of golden heads disappear through the trees, he closed his eyes and used his other "sight". What he saw made him smile broadly. This princeling surprised him. He had always thought him to be of a more withdrawn sort, more scholar than warrior but today had proved Wufei otherwise. 

Maybe, just maybe, this prince would be the one he had been sent to find and train. The one he had left his beloved mountains for, journeying through the lands in order to fulfill Adon's will. 

"Meiran, love, mayhap this time, he will be the one to rid us of Him once and for all." 

TBC ^_~ Comments onegai? 

Author's Notes: 

I am not going to follow the nitty gritty of the plotline of the book but will be extensively improvising…this is because we've lost the book and I forgot most of the plot -_-; Its more of building on the general concept. I am not doing this to insult the author but for entertainment. I happen to like Dennis McKiernan. o.O 


End file.
